What if John Edwards never had his scandals in 2008?

Your friend actually gave me a very interesting idea... I might try a story with this. Interesting.
Also. what other affairs? I only knew of Hunter.

"In What Really Happened, Ms Hunter claims that Mr Edwards told her he had affairs with at least two other women dating back 20 years and did not reveal the truth about his former relationships until 2011, two years after Ms Hunter appeared before a grand jury." https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...stress-rielle-hunter-in-new-book-7858959.html

https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/06...tress-says-he-had-at-least-two-other-affairs/

(These apparently were actual affairs, as opposed to three he just made up!)
 
As others have pointed out, he lost the '08 run well before the affair came out. I don't see a window for him against the OTL field.

I suppose the other interesting question the OP is gesturing towards is how would contemporary Democratic politics look with a politically-healthy John Edwards? Let's say that he doesn't meet Rielle Hunter, and that his other rumored affairs remain under wraps. (As they have - remember that the Kerry campaign's extensive vetting never uncovered evidence of them either.)

In that case, he might well get a position in the Obama Administration. Potentially AG, though given that he doesn't really have a background as a prosecutor or in civil rights, I have a hard time seeing Obama picking him for that. Something like Labor, maybe with an enhanced "poverty czar" role is probably more likely. He likely serves one term, maybe partway through the second. Afterwards, maybe he runs in '16? I don't see his bid going anywhere, though perhaps if Hillary still loses (as OTL), he emerges as a leading candidate this time around, as a liberal white southerner.

Elizabeth Edwards' story in this case becomes a big positive for him, earning him a lot of sympathy as a widower, rather than the ignomy of having cheated on his dying spouse.
 
"In What Really Happened, Ms Hunter claims that Mr Edwards told her he had affairs with at least two other women dating back 20 years and did not reveal the truth about his former relationships until 2011, two years after Ms Hunter appeared before a grand jury." https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...stress-rielle-hunter-in-new-book-7858959.html

https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/06...tress-says-he-had-at-least-two-other-affairs/

(These apparently were actual affairs, as opposed to three he just made up!)
Huh. Odd, never knew that. Weird, the more you know.
 
As others have pointed out, he lost the '08 run well before the affair came out. I don't see a window for him against the OTL field.

I suppose the other interesting question the OP is gesturing towards is how would contemporary Democratic politics look with a politically-healthy John Edwards? Let's say that he doesn't meet Rielle Hunter, and that his other rumored affairs remain under wraps. (As they have - remember that the Kerry campaign's extensive vetting never uncovered evidence of them either.)

In that case, he might well get a position in the Obama Administration. Potentially AG, though given that he doesn't really have a background as a prosecutor or in civil rights, I have a hard time seeing Obama picking him for that. Something like Labor, maybe with an enhanced "poverty czar" role is probably more likely. He likely serves one term, maybe partway through the second. Afterwards, maybe he runs in '16? I don't see his bid going anywhere, though perhaps if Hillary still loses (as OTL), he emerges as a leading candidate this time around, as a liberal white southerner.

Elizabeth Edwards' story in this case becomes a big positive for him, earning him a lot of sympathy as a widower, rather than the ignomy of having cheated on his dying spouse.
Yeah that too. Say if Trump still becomes president as OTL, he could maybe knock off Trump in 2020 with that advantage.
 
Top